Cava Founders to Open Mediterranean-Inspired Bouboulina at Bethesda’s Pike & Rose
By Keith Loria October 31, 2023 4:11 pm
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The founders of the fast-casual Cava chain are opening Bouboulina, a Mediterranean restaurant named for world’s first female admiral, at the Pike & Rose megadevelopment in North Bethesda, Md.
The three co-owners, Ted Xenohristos, Dimitri Moshovitis and Ike Grigoropoulos, inked a 3,080-square-foot lease on the street level of 915 Meeting Street, the newest building in the 24-acre Pike & Rose neighborhood that Federal Realty Investment Trust is developing.
It will be the trio’s third restaurant in Pike & Rose, following the Greek-inspired Melina, which opened in 2021 at 909 Rose, and French Mediterranean concept Julii, which opened in 2018 at 11915 Grand Park Avenue.
Bouboulina gets its name from a Greek naval commander who led her own fleet and private army during the country’s War of Independence in 1821, becoming the first woman in world naval history to become an admiral, according to the co-owners. It is expected to open next summer.
Federal Realty owns the 276,000-square-foot newly opened office building where Bouboulina will be located. Designed by Gensler, the 16-story building features 9,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, approximately 25,000-square-foot floor plates and 700 parking spaces.
Federal Realty also announced it will be opening Upper Muse, an approximately 5,000-square-foot courtyard to be located at the front of the entrance of 915 Meeting. The area will feature seating with tables for people to dine or work, and it will be surrounded by native landscaping.
The courtyard will connect patrons through an archway from 915 Meeting to Owen’s Ordinary and Kusshi Sushi patio across Trade Street.
Pike & Rose includes more than 50 retail stores and restaurants. The development also includes 99 luxury condominiums and penthouses positioned above Canopy by Hilton, a 177-key boutique hotel; 765 apartments; and a 17,000-square-foot rooftop farm.
Retailers in Pike & Rose include REI, Sephora, L.L.Bean, a Porsche dealership, and entertainment offerings such as Pinstripes and AMP by Strathmore. Restaurants include Summer House Santa Monica, Fogo de Chao, and &pizza.
Cava went public in 2023. At the end of this year’s second quarter, the company had 279 restaurants and saw same-sales growth of 18.2 percent.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
